White Castle and USA Luge Renew Their Partnership Through 2029, Sliding Into a Second Decade Together

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 4, 2026--

White Castle, home of The Original Slider ®, and USA Luge, the national governing body for the sport of luge, are sticking together — because when two slider experts click, you don’t mess with a good thing.

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The nation’s two foremost “sliders” have renewed their partnership through 2029, keeping White Castle as the official sponsor of the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search, the organization’s nationwide, off-season athlete recruitment tour, and the exclusive quick-service restaurant and frozen snack/sandwich sponsor of USA Luge. The extended agreement runs through August 2029.

The relationship dates back to 2017, when White Castle became the first and only fast-food restaurant to serve as an official sponsor of USA Luge and title sponsor of the Slider Search. In 2027, the two partners will celebrate 10 years together, with this renewal carrying their alliance into its second decade.

"When you're in the Slider business, you can't help but root for the fastest Sliders on ice,” said Jamie Richardson, chief marketing officer at White Castle. “USA Luge has become family, and we couldn’t be prouder to keep introducing kids to this thrilling sport for years to come. Whether you’re sliding down a 1,000-meter ice track or serving Sliders hot off the griddle, it’s all about feeding the souls of Cravers — and dreamers — everywhere.”

Luge has been an Olympic sport since 1964. Commonly referred to as “sliders,” luge athletes race down a track of ice on sleds, feet first, at speeds reaching 90 miles an hour. The USA Luge team has won six Olympic medals and nearly 600 medals in elite- and junior-level international competition since 1994.

Since 1985, the USA Luge Slider Search has served as the sport’s grassroots talent pipeline, using wheeled sleds in the summer and fall to introduce young athletes to luge. Over the years, the free clinics have traveled more than 250,000 miles and introduced the sport to over 25,000 kids nationwide. The results speak for themselves: at least 60% of every U.S. Olympic luge team since 2002 got its start at a Slider Search.

“The White Castle USA Luge Slider Search has been the launching pad for so many of our athletes, and it simply wouldn’t be possible without White Castle,” said Gordy Sheer, director of marketing & sponsorships at USA Luge. “This is a partnership built on shared values of community, opportunity and a little bit of fun, and we’re thrilled to keep it going for years to come.”

This year’s tour has already rolled through cities in five states, but there’s still time to get in on the action. Three stops remain on the 2026 schedule, and White Castle and USA Luge are inviting kids ages 10 to 13 to come give luge a try:

The clinics are completely free, and every participant takes home a White Castle USA Luge Slider Search t-shirt just for showing up. Each day offers three sessions — 9 to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., or 2 to 4 p.m. — and families need only register for one. Guided by U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches and athletes, participants learn the basics of positioning, steering and stopping a luge sled before taking runs down a paved course on wheel-equipped sleds. Those who show promise may be invited to try luge on ice and considered for the USA Luge National Development Team.

To register, families can call 1-800-USA-LUGE or visit usaluge.org/try-luge/slider-search.

About White Castle ®

White Castle, America’s first fast-food hamburger chain, has been making hot and tasty Sliders since 1921. Based in Columbus, Ohio, the family-owned business owns and operates about 340 restaurants as well as a retail division providing its famous fare in freezer aisles of retail stores nationwide. As part of its commitment to offering the highest quality products, White Castle owns and operates its own Slider Provider meat plants, bakeries and frozen-Slider retail plants. White Castle has earned numerous accolades over the years including “Most Influential Burger of All Time” by Time magazine (2014, The Original Slider ® ) and one of the “10 Most Innovative Dining Companies” by Fast Company (2021). White Castle is known for the legendary engagement of its team members and has received the Great Place to Work ® Certification™ for an extraordinary five consecutive years spanning 2021–2025. White Castle is beloved by its passionate fans (Cravers), many of whom compete each year for entry into the Cravers Hall of Fame. The official White Castle app makes it easy for Cravers to sign up for the CRAVER NATION REWARDS ® loyalty program, access sweet deals and place pickup orders at any time. For more information on White Castle and how to Follow Your Crave, visit whitecastle.com.

Editor’s Note: Download images and b-roll video of the White Castle USA Luge Slider Search programhere.

White Castle and USA Luge team up to introduce young athletes to the sport at a Slider Search clinic. The free program, now part of a partnership extended through 2029, uses wheeled sleds to teach kids the basics of luge.

NEW YORK (AP) — Big oil companies continue to book massive profits as fighting in Iran disrupts energy markets and sends oil and gasoline prices sharply higher.

Six of Europe’s largest oil companies posted combined first-quarter profits of $22 billion, more than 40% higher than last year. Profits at BP, based in London, more than doubled to $3.9 billion in the second quarter, the company said Tuesday.

And Saudi Aramco reported a 44% year-on-year increase in second-quarter net profit that reached $32.69 billion, driven by higher crude oil, refined products and chemicals prices.

The supercharged performances from big oil in Europe and the Middle East follow reports of enormous profits from the largest U.S. oil drillers last week.

As the conflict has dragged on, high oil prices have driven up the cost of gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, which has led to higher shipping costs. In the West, filling up the car or buying a plane ticket is costing consumers more. But the situation in parts of Asia are more dire because the region depends more heavily on fuel exported through the Strait of Hormuz. Fuel supplies have run low in some countries, leading to rationing and sporadic closures of schools and government offices.

Despite oil prices falling to their lowest level in three weeks Tuesday, big U.S. energy companies drew the ire of President Donald Trump, who criticized them this week for their outsized profits.

Trump said he’s not happy with Chevron and Exxon Mobil, though energy prices skyrocketed only after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed off to tanker traffic.

About 20% of the world’s oil typically flows through the strait.

“They made too much money, too much money,” Trump said Monday. “They ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price.”

Exxon Mobil on Friday reported that its second quarter profits doubled to $14.5 billion, boosted by record diesel production. The oil giant, based in Spring, Texas, brought in $116 billion in revenue, up 42%.

Chevron, based in Houston, nearly quadrupled its profits to $12 billion and revenue jumped 56% to more than $70 billion.

On Tuesday, the price of U.S. crude oil fell 5.4%, or $4.36, to $75.98 per barrel. The sharp decline followed comments by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told CNBC that the U.S. and Iran “may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the Strait.”

Oil prices for U.S. crude are down from around $92 a barrel in late July, but still more than 13% higher than when the conflict with Iran started.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 4.9% to $83.87 per barrel.

A resolution to the Iran conflict, which has lasted more than five months, could give oil shippers the ability to send vessels out of the Persian Gulf, where tankers of oil and other products have been trapped during the fighting.

Shares of major oil companies are up by around 20% to 30% this year, easily outpacing the 13% gains on the S&P 500.

FILE- A truck enters the Exxon Mobil Baytown Olefins Plant, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Baytown, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

Young men ride motorcycles along the shore as a tractor pulls equipment from the water and commercial vessels appear anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Monday, July 27, 2026. (Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)

The per-gallon price is displayed electronically over the various grades of fuel available from a pump at a QT gasoline station Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Greenwood Village, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)